After returning home for the holidays from deployment, I was reunited with my family for the first time in seven months. In the excitement of seeing my daughter and unloading our bags, my carry-on went missing in the short-term parking garage at MSY. Inside was my wedding dress, my AirPods, my passport, and my purse, which held all my identification. We were able to track the bag to the MSY employee parking area and later to a residence in Kenner, but unfortunately, it has not been recovered.

This experience has been incredibly stressful and disheartening, especially knowing that someone in my own community is responsible. My wedding is in May, and I am now short on time to replace my dress and the other stolen items. The loss has made it difficult to focus on the joy of planning my wedding, a moment I have been looking forward to sharing with my family and friends once I am home from deployment for good.

Replacing my wedding dress, AirPods, passport, and purse will help me move forward and allow me to focus on the other important details of my wedding day. Any support to help cover the cost of a new dress and to replace my stolen items is deeply appreciated. It has meant so much to have people in the community share my story and offer their support during this challenging time.